ABUJA — Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has stirred political waters with a blunt claim that President Bola Tinubu — not himself — is the one guilty of offense in their strained relationship.
Speaking during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television on Monday, Lawal maintained that while he still considers Tinubu a friend, their last conversation was in July 2022 and tensions have since grown.
“Yes, of course, we are friends,” Lawal said when asked if he still maintains ties with the president. “You should be able to tell your friend the truth even on national TV. The problem with Bola Tinubu is that he thinks that I offended him. I didn’t offend him. But he offended me. And he’s full of himself, because he thinks he’s the so-called president.”
Once a key figure in the Buhari administration and a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Lawal has become an outspoken critic of Tinubu since the 2023 elections. He has publicly rejected the legitimacy of Tinubu’s victory, insisting that Labour Party candidate Peter Obi was the rightful winner.
In July, during another heated television appearance, Lawal clashed with an anchor over the credibility of the polls, telling the host: “Give me a break, my friend. Shut up! … The Tinubu government didn’t win the election.”
He has also criticised Tinubu’s foreign engagements, describing the president’s visit to the Vatican for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV as “an insult to Christianity” and claiming such invitations are secured through lobbying, not merit.
Lawal has since thrown his weight behind the emerging opposition coalition anchored by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), aimed at unseating Tinubu in 2027. He accuses Tinubu loyalists of betraying the legacy of former President Muhammadu Buhari and says Nigeria’s governance is now adrift under the current administration.
The former SGF’s latest remarks highlight more than personal grievances — they signal deepening cracks within Nigeria’s political elite. What began as a falling-out between old allies now threatens to further polarise the political landscape ahead of the next general election.
Neither the presidency nor the APC has officially responded to Lawal’s latest comments.
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